CATCHING THE STARS DURING 2015
IN THE CAPITAL CITY
OF ROMANIAN NON-FORMAL ASTRONOMY
-text Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
design Florin Alexandru Stancu
with the special participation of Valentin Grigore-
I began this project with 3 images taken by Valentin Grigore during 2015
in Dambovita County.
Over there, in the town of Targoviste and around,
the Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy (SARM)
organized or was invited to organize a few astronomical events
after Global Astronomy Month 2015 (April):
I. LECTURE FOR CHILDREN, HEROES CATHEDRAL, MAY 2015
-tipuritura Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
photos Valentin Grigore and Alex Spoiala-
I think it’s highly human to see
A cathedral for astronomy.
II. SUMMER SOLSTICE FESTIVITY, TRICOLORUL SQUARE, JUNE 2015
-tipuritura Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
photos Valentin Grigore-
If the things are well-done
We have knights of the Sun.
III. ASTRONOMICAL SUMMER SCHOOL, RUNCU, JULY 2015
-tipuritura Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
photos Valentin Grigore-
To teach us more, the stars come down.
Let’s learn from them more… out of town!
IV. ASTRO 2015, MUNICIPAL LIBRARY AND RUNCU, SEPTEMBER 2015
1
-photos (1, 21) Valentin Grigore
and (2-20) Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
Valentin Grigore and SARM organized at the Ion Heliade Radulescu Library
(named after the greatest cultural personality of the city
and the first president of the Romanian Academy in the 19th century),
near two historical churches
(Stelea, made in the 17th century,
and Saint Nicolae Geartoglu, founded in the 15th century),
the national gala of non-formal education through astronomy,
with the participation of representatives of
planetariums, observatories and astronomical clubs,
and teachers leading astronomical circles for students,
who presented their activities and projects,
and were recompensed for them.
I could arrive there only for the last session,
and it is to say that, among more rather technical lectures of the participants,
I tried a moment of astropoetry…
2
-photos Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
I left the event,
returning to Bucharest and catching the Sun over the Targoviste Cathedral,
and then the sunset from the bus.
3
-photos Valentin Grigore-
The same sunset was caught in much better conditions by Valentin Grigore,
who moved to Runcu together with more participants,
under a clean sky,
for a workshop dedicated to the future astronomical projects.
V. ASTROFOTO 2015, HISTORY MUSEUM AND RUNCU, OCTOBER 2015
1
-photos (1 - Targoviste City Hall -, 56 - Targoviste History Museum) Valentin Grigore
and (2-55) Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-
One month later,
Valentin Grigore and SARM organized another major event for Romanian astronomy,
the 8th edition of the national astrophotography contest
(sustained by the Targoviste Mayoralty),
completed by an international exhibition of this kind,
not far of a statue of Vlad Tepes Dracula,
visible among the columns of the history museum.
The gala was a complex show,
including photo-projections, movies, laureates’ confessions,
conversations by phone with Romanian sky lovers established in other countries,
and a few moments of astropoetry.
2
-photos Valentin Grigore-
In the second part of the event,
the astrophotographers moved for a workshop to Runcu,
where Valentin Grigore realized another astrophotographic poem.
VI. INTERMEZZO, TARGOVISTE
-tipuritura Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
photos Valentin Grigore-
A town with heavenly bodies on street
Means gift with autumnal wings at feet.
VII. GEMINID EXPEDITION, RUNCU, DECEMBER 2015
-photos Valentin Grigore-
In 13-15 December
a new SARM expedition to Runcu Stone near the Carpathian Mountains,
this time for the observation of the Geminid meteor shower maximum.
VIII. END OF 2015, TARGOVISTE AND PRISEACA LAKE
(with the Full Moon during the Christmas Day after a few decades)
-tipuritura Andrei Dorian Gheorghe
photos Valentin Grigore-
I think it is more than the birds in flight
To be bathed by the heavenly light!
*
© 2016 SARM
(Romanian Society for Meteors and Astronomy)